Machine for pitching the coils of helical springs



Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR PITCHING THE COILS F HELICAL SPRINGS 16 Claims.

This invention is a machine for opening or spreading the coils or helices of hot or cold helical springs.

Springs of this type and of large and heavy form are usually wound with the coils quite close together and it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, substantial and practical machine for rapidly and eiiectively and uniformly opening the closed coils in a progressive manner for the full length of the given spring.

Helical springs are made of greatly variant sizes and of many different degrees of coil pitch, and of left hand and right hand pitch. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a machine having capacity for ready adjustment oi its spreading means for successful operation on springs diering in these characteristics.

Also an object is to provide a machine for operating on heavy springs in an economical manner in both manual labor requirement and in power consumption when the machine is power driven.

It is found in opening of the coils of a spring according to the method herein disclosed that the axis of the spring is materially deflected coincidently with the spreading oi the coils and an object is to provide for such deflection so that undue resistance and faulty product will be eliminated.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as above and subsequently set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the aforesaid objects, additional purposes and advantages, and whose construction, combinations and details of means, and the manner oi operation, and the method of treatment, will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinbelow.

Figure l is a plan oi the machine with an applied, partly coil-opened spring.

Figure 2 is a sectional, front elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is a detail, cross-section of the spring roller support and side elevation of the coil spreader in action on an applied spring.

Figure 4 is an elevation oi the anvil portion of a supporting roller.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail of an adjustment device of the coil spreader.

On a suitable bench, frame or table 2 there is provided a pair oi elongate, stiff, parallel rollers 3 and ll whose ends are suitably journaled in bearing blocks 5 of suitable construction and which are here shown as slidably supported on end members 6 of the supporting table. A feature of the invention is that these blocks 5 are adapted to be so concurrently adjusted that the rollers 3 and 4 may be readily closed or separated as to each other for the reception of close-wound, helical springs S of which one is shown as disposed on the bed-forming rollers and which vary in diameter; the rollers rotatively supporting the applied spring along its length.

For such adjustment oi the bearing blocks 5 the members 6 have slots l to receive and guide nuts 8 which are iixed on the bottoms of the blocks and engage respective screw shafts 9 and I0 journaled on the table and whose rear ends are geared at I i to a counter shaft I2 for accurate cooperation to eiiect concurrent opening or closing motion of the rollers 3-f2; it being understood that the screw-shafts S-Ill have each a righthand and a lefthand thread part ior the respective bearings, as seen in Fig. l. Either of the screwshafts, as 9, may have a handwheel I3 for motivation.

The rollers 3 4 each have at about midlength, an enlarged anvil part I5, Fig. i which tapers off at I6 at one end so that as the spring S is being operated on to open its coils, the

opened end of the spring may readily deiiect downward, Fig. 2, as later set out. There is also mounted slidably and rotative on the rollers, in advance of the anvils IE, a plurality of sleeves Il, of about the same diameter as the anvil to receive and support the adjacent end of the closedcoil spring.

A means to effect the spreading of the coils progressively along the applied spring is here shown as including an inflexible disc 2G having a stiff, V-shaped or wedge edge 2| and being of materially larger diameter than the largest spring S` to be operated upon; it being understood that discs of Various size may be interchanged in the machine and that no limitation is here intended to be placed upon sizes oi either the disc or of the bed forming rollers.

The disc 2li is adapted to be adjusted toward or from the applied spring S and is adapted, also, to be adjusted obliquely to right or left to be made effective upon right pitch or left pitch springs and according to the degree of the pitch. Also the disc 20A is adapted to be readily moved toward or from` a given, adjusted position for ready insertion and removal of one spring after another of a given lot of the same type and size; means being provided for quickly making all such adjustments and for operation on springs of greatly different sizes up to the capacity of the machine, which is itself of capacity for working on springs of many sizes and weights, and variant of pitch.

The disc 20 is here shown as rotatively journaled in a transverse carrier or bearing arm 22 on an axis parallel to and in the vertical plane medially between the bed rollers 34, Fig. 3, whereby to position the wedge roller 2D in engagement with the top portions of two adjacent coils of the spring which is supported along opposite, suitably spaced lines by the rotative bed means or rollers at the anvils l5.

The rear end of the bearing arm 22 is tiltable on a pivot 24 passing through a bearing nut 25 which is threaded on a jack-post 26 vertically and turnably supported in appropriate bearings forming parts of the table 2; the upper end of the jack-post having a handwheel 2l whereby the block or nut 25 may be screwed up or down on the jack-post for adjustment of the arm 22 and its disc 20 according to the diameter of the spring S to be treated. It will be seen, also, that the arm 22 and the disc 20 may be readily shifted from the neutral position, Fig. l, to the right 0r to the left to determine the Obliquity of the spring pitch.

Means are provided to securely fasten the disc carrying arm in any desired vertical and oblique position for operation on a given spring S and for the ready lifting and lowering of the arm and the disc to the same position for the running of a lot of like springs. This means includes a front carriage 30 slidably mounted on and to shift along a front member of the table frame 2 and to be firmly held in desired position as by a substantial clamp 3l. In the carriage 3i) there is a vertically adjustable pillar 32 which is capable of turning in the carriage 3G as this is shifted from the neutral position, Fig. 1 and with respect to the jack-post 26.

The upper end of the pillar 32 is vertically slotted at 33 to snugly, slidably receive the near or forward end of the arm 22 carrying the disc 20, and is provided with a suitable releasing keeper 34 which is so pivoted on the pillar as to be easily opened to provide for downward insertion of the handle-forming, forward end of the disc bearing arm 22, and for subsequent closing to hold it in place. "When the arm fastening pillar 32 has been shifted by and turned in the carriage 30 to the desired position as to the roller bed, the pillar is then secured by a suitable clamp bolt 35 of the carriage.

When the disc 2@ has been set to the desired Obliquity as for operation on an applied spring S the disc is firmly forced down between the two first coils of the spring as these rest on the anvil portions of the bed rollers 3 4 with the result that these coils are forced apart to a degree determined by entry of the wedge edge of the disc 2U and which is fixed by the setting of the pillar 32, as, also, is the degree of coil pitch by the setting of the carriage 30. It is found that as the disc .20 spreads the successive coils the axis of the spread portion of the spring is materially bent down, Fig. 2, and to prevent a reflexure of the spring by the rollers or supporting means, the anvils I5 are tapered ofr` at i6, as above stated to provide ample clearance for deflection.

Means are provided to effect the rotation of the spring S while supported on the roller bed and while engaged by the spreading disc 20 to cause the automatic advance of the spring as its coils are spread, and as shown includes a worm gear 36 secured to the shaft 31 of the disc and engaged by a worm or screw 31 fixed on a shaft 38 journaled on the arm 22 for rotational drive of the disc.

As a source of power an electric motor 39 is fixed on the arm to drive the shaft 38, and the motor is here shown as rearward of the pivot 24 of the arm so that its weight is utilized to substantially balance the arm 22 on its pivot and facilitate the frequent operation of raising and lowering the arm and disc to effective position on springs successively run through the machine.

It will be seen that the method involves rotatively supporting the spring, against lateral change of position, on lines parallel to its axis, rotating the spring on its axis and at the same time subjecting the spring to radial pressure at opposite points between two contiguous coils and from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the lines of support.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine of the class described including means to rollably support a spring lengthwise, a circularly edged wedge disc, and means to rotatively support the disc and force it between adjacent coils of the spring and means for adjusting the radial and the angular position of the disc as to the spring axis and for securing it against change during rotation of the spring.

2. A machine as in claim 1, and means for adjusting the disc support to change the radial relation of the disc as to the axis of the spring.

3. A machine as in claim l, and including means for changing the angle of the disc support according to the degree and direction of the pitch of the coils of the spring to be operated upon.

4. A machine as in claim l, and including means for changing the angularity and distal relation of the disc support and the disc as to the axis of the spring.

5. A machine of the class described including a bed of rollers to engage and support a helical spring along its length, and a rotary wedge disc adapted to be positioned in engagement with and between a pair of coils of the spring while so supported.

6. A machine as in claim 5, and means for effecting rotation of the spring while engaged by the disc.

'7. A machine of the class described including a pair of spaced, parallel rollers to rotatively sup- I port a helical spring laid on and axially parallel to the rollers at opposite lines along the spring, and means directly opposite the rollers for forcing the spring in firm parallel position to the rollers and for constantly engaging between two contiguous coils of the supported spring and forcing them apart while the spring is rotating.

8. A machine as in claim 7, and said means including a wedge adjustable to coincide with the pitch of the coils.

9. A machine as in claim 7, and said means including a rotary wedge adjustable to coincide with the pitch of the coils.

10. A machine as in claim '7, and said means including a directly rotatively driven wedge disc.

l1. A machine as in claim 7, and in which said rollers have tapered portions at the location of the spreading means to provide for axial deflection of the spring as its coils are progressively spread.

12. A machine of the cla-ss described including a rotary support for longitudinal engagement with a helical spring, rotary disc means opposed to the support to rotate the sering thereon and to engage between two contiguous coils of the applied spring to spread than, an adjustably mounted support for the disc, and means for securing the disc support in adjusted position for uniform spreading actionv on the coils` of the spring as it is advanced by the disc during its rotation.

13. A machine as in claim 12, and including means to change the Obliquity of the disc support according to the pitch of a given spring.

14. In amachine of the class described, means to support a helical spring along its length, a positively, rotatively driven Wedge disc to engage between and spread coils of and rotatively press the supported spring to the support, a bearing on which the dise is` rotatively journaled, and means for radially adjusting the bearing as to the spring and for securing the bearing in adjusted position.

15. A machine as` in claim 14, and in which said bearing consists of a. pivoted carrier, and .means on said carrier for effective rotation of the :said dise and of the supported spring.

16. A machine as in claim 14, and in which said bearing is pivotally mounted and is provided with means to drive the disc and including an arrangement of parts to substantially counterbalance the bearing on its pivot.

FRANK O. HOLISTER. 

